Novelist Stephen R. Lawhead was born in July 2, 1950 in Kearney, Nebraska. He graduated from Kearney State College.

He wrote his first novel, In the Hall of the Dragon King (1982) to try to support his family. This launched his literary career. Many of Lawhead's works are based on Celtic history and Arthurian legend. He has also written children's books, adapting many of them from stories he told his children. Lawhead's various series include Bright Empires, The Pendragon Cycle, and the King Raven Trilogy. The second book in the King Raven Trilogy, Scarlet, won a Christy Award in the category of Visionary Fiction.